Design story
Hans-Agne Jakobsson pendant lamp. Jakobsson (1919–2009) was a Swedish interior and furniture designer, who ran his own company since 1951. Jakobsson is particularly well known for his beautiful soft glow lighting. Most active between the 50’s and 70’s, which were known as the golden years of Scandinavian design. His designs were inspired by great, modern Scandinavian designers such as the Finnish icon Alvar Aalto and Danish lighting master Poul Henningsen.
Born in 1919 in Gotland, Sweden, Hans-Agne Jakobsson went on to apprentice as a carpenter before studying architecture in Gothenburg. First working as an industrial designer for General Motors, he later founded his own company.
In 1951 he founded his own company, Hans-Agne Jakobsson AB, at Markaryd. There he not only created lighting design but also candlesticks, pieces of furniture and other implements.
Influenced by the nature of his native country, the southern part of Sweden, with its glittering lakes and vast dark woods, Jakobsson occupied himself in imaginative ways with light and illumination, the soft features of the light spectrum. As a talented designer who experimented with brass, iron, glass, fabric and wood shavings, he learned how to master direction and colour of light like only few people did. In choosing his materials, construction and design, he arranged it so that glaring bulbs and irritating decorations disappear. His designs unite practicality and a sense of wellbeing. Like his famous colleague, Poul Henningsen, Jakobsson counts among the light designers who became known for their attenuated, soft lighting. His designs for wood shavings were produced by Ellysett AB.
His mastery of the direction and colour of light in addition to his versatility as both designer and manufacturer, earned him a highly successful career. Over a period of 50 years Jakobsson’s the company produced over 2000 different lamps. The Hans-Agne Jakobsson T921 Pendant Lamp being one of them.
Jakobsson is well known in his Swedish home country, his lights do not only illuminate private homes but can be found preferably in public buildings.
